Toy



L. MARX I 1,828,288

Oct. 20, 1931.

TOY

Filed Feb. 4, 1950 INVENTOR Louis M Cl r x ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 20,1931 PATENT OFFICE L roursmlmx, or NEW YoRx, N.Y.

TOY

Application filed February 4, 1930. Serial No. 425,733.

' This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to toys of thetrack laying or caterpillar type. i Toys f the track laying orcaterpillar 5 type have attained considerable popularity because oftheir ability to climb over obstacles "set in their path. If theobstacle is quite steep the toy is'apt to'turn over backward, Ltherebyterminating its previously impressive '10- performance in ani'gnominious manner.

1 This tendency of the toy to upset is far more marked than might beanticipated from superficial consideration, and this efiect I have foundis due to the fact that the reaction of the driving torque of the rearportion of the tread of'the toy is in such a direction as to "tend toturn the toy over backward. In consequence, when the a toy is climbingan obstacle, even if .the obstacle is not sufficiently steep toplace'the toy in a position of unstable equilibrium, it may besufiiciently steep to give the rear portion of the tread considerablelocal traction, and this not only tends to move the rear ofthevehicletoward the obstacle, thereby increasing the angle of lift of thevehicle, but also causesa torque of reaction which directly tends to andusually succeeds in upsetting the toy.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoingdifiiculty, and to make toys of the track laying or caterpillar typemore stable in operation and more eflicient in negotiating relativelysteep obstacles. Another object is to enhance the play valueofthe toy bymaking possible either stable or unstableoperation at will. To theaccomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects aswillhereinafter a-ppear, my invention resides in the method andthetraotor elements and their relation one to j the other, ashereinafter more particularly 8 described and sought to be defined inthe claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which showthe preferred Y Fig; 1' is an elevation illustrating how a tractor toyof the prior art upsets;

Fig. 2 isan elevation of my improved tractortoy successfully negotiatingthe same obswam-aria a embodiment'of my invention, and in which:

Fig. 3 is a partially sectioned viewin plan of the rear portion of thetractor toy embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is illustrated as applied to atoy tractor of the track laying or caterpillar type, this tractorcomprising a body 2, caterpillar tread 4,

and driving means here exemplified by a spring motor energized by meansof a winding key 6, the motorbeing suitably geared to either or both ofpairs of driving wheels 8 andlO on which thetreads 4 are mounted. Thetoy may, if desired, be further provided with projections 12 simulatingengine exhaust pipes, and means 14 simulating steering and controlmechanism for the toy, as well as an operator 16 apparently handling thecontrols.

The caterpillar treads 4 maybe made of rubber andpreferably consist of aV-shaped inner portion 18 and a parallel sided outer portion 20, and arefurther preferably provided with suction cups or indentations 22 on theouter periphery thereof.

The tractor toy as so far described ismore or less conventional.However, in addition to the aforesaid elements I provide means at therear of the toy to prevent'it from turning over when climbing arelatively steep obstacle. This means is here illustrated simply as' atrail 30 when is preferably reciprocably mounted at the rear of the bodyof the vehicle, so that it may be adjusted between the positions 30 and30 shown in Fig. 3.

' When the trail 30 is moved entirely into the body it does not projectbeyond the periphery of the treads 4, and therefore is of no effect. Inthe position 30 the trail is inoperative, and hence the toy may bereadily caused to upset, whereas in the position 30, V the exactlocation of Whichis adjustable for best results, the trail is operative,and the toy will not upset. The play value of the toy is greatlyenhanced by having optionally available either type of. operation.

The dithculty with prior toys of this nature will'be described withreference to Fig. 1 in whichthe tractor, although fitted with the trail30, may be considered as not having the same, inasmuch as the trail 30has been adjusted to its innermost" position. The toy,

tractor may be exp on reaching a suitable obstacle here represented by astacked pair of books and 42, begins to climb over the same until itreaches a position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1. If the obstacle issufiiciently steep to bring the tractor to this position, it is very aptto turn over backwards because of a number of cooperating factors. Inthe first place, there is considerable traction at the rear portion ofthe treads 4, and this causes the tractor to ride in against theobstacle to as steep an elevation as is possible, this position beingillustrated by the broken line position in Fig. 1. When the rear portionof the tread can no longer ride forward, the reaction of the .movementof the tread against the body of Qthe vehicle begins to be felt. Thisreaction may best be understood by considering the forces centering.about the rear wheels 10 of the vehicle. These wheels tend to turnforward, and by reaction therefore tend to swing the body of the vehiclebackward in the direction of the arrow about the axis of wheels 10 as apivot. The driving torque of the toy being relatively powerful, the toyis easily turned backward the slight additional amount needed to changeits equilibrium and thus to, upset the toy.

, Referring now to Fig. 2, the same toy is illustrated as negotiatingthe same obstacle,

,thetoy being altered merely by readjusting the position of the trail 30to project from ,the rear of the body of the vehicle. More we mayconsider the toy as having broadl been ed by having the body thereofdifintently shaped, so that a portion of the body is pro rl positionedto press against the groun w en the vehicle attempts to negotiate asteep obstacle.

Thetheorv of o eration of the improved ained from several viewpoints. Inthe first place, the trail prevents the vehicle from ever lifting upwardto so tion-ofthe tread 4. Thus, in Fig. 2 the w l was explained in steean angle as to place the toy in unstable fiibrium. In the second place,the trail 'vely lengthens the wheel base of the toy when the toy isclimbing an obstacle, so that,

as is clearly evident in Fig. 2, the toy is per- .mitted to surmount theobstacle while inclined at less an angle of elevation than would In thethird place, and perhaps most importantly, the trail 30, upon reachingthe and, relieves the traction of the rear or- 10 and the tread 4thereon are lifted entirely clear of the ground. This obviates thetendalloy of the rear portion of the to to climb in as closely asossible to the obstacle, as ig. 1, and further obviates the force ofreaction at the rear portion of ftbetread which tends to rotate the toybackward about the axis of rear wheel 10. In other words, by relievingthe traction of the rear portion of the tread, the only tractionremaining is that at the forward portion of the tread, and the tractiveeffort applied at the forward portion of the tread tends to draw thevehicle up over the obstacle and to rotate the vehicle clockwise ordownwardly, as is indicated by the arrow.

The trail 30 may, if desired, be fitted with a small wheel or roller soas to remhce the friction or braking action thereof, or it may, as hashere been shown, simply consist of a rounded skid. In the present case,the rear end of the trail 30 is suitably formed and bent upward toobtain a hook 32 which may be used for towing ur oses. The trail 30 isreciprocably or s Ida 1y mounted in the body so that it need not beprojected, and it pro ected, so that its projection may be adjusted tobest suit the steepness of the obstacle to be surmounted. Thisadjustability should,

of course, be with sufiicient friction to permit of the book 32 takingthe tractive pull of the vehicle without being pulled out of the desiredposition or adjustment.

From the theory of operation of the toy as previously outlined, it willbe understood that the toy can not upset even if the obstacle 4 A straght incline having a relatively IOlfil surface may be negotiated to evenbetter vantage than the obstacle illustrated in the drawi because of theeater surface upon which t forward POI'tlOIl of the tread may grl willbe apparent that while I have. shown and described my invention in there form, many changes and modifications may be made in the structuredisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. tractor toy compris' a bod a 'r of caterpillar treads, wbee ls on whidh treads are mounted, driving means in said body for rotatin saidwheels and treads, and

iarmd M a trail reciproca ly mounted at the rear oi the body of the toyand adjustable to bear upon the ground as the toy reaches any desiredangle when attempting to climb a relatively steep obstacle, so that saidtrail will prevent the toy from lifting further to amorewl unstableangle, and will prevent the toy fiom turning over backward, said trailalso movable to an inoperative position, permitting the toy to turn overbackward.

2. A tractor toy comprising a body, a rpairgil of caterpillar treads,wheels on which said treads are mounted, driving means in said body forrotating said wheels and treads, and a trail reciprocably mounted at therear of the body of the toy and adjustable between an inoperativeposition permitting the toy to turn over backward when climbing a steepobstacle, and an operative position preventing the toy from turning overbackward when 5 climbing a steep obstacle.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 3rd. day of February, A. D, 1930.

LOUIS MARX.

